According to experts, there are about 60 car brands in the world. This figure is approximate and takes into account only the most famous brands. As for the models, their number is counted in thousands. But we are interested only in the most famous cars – those that everyone is talking about and that can be recognized among dozens and hundreds of others.
Top most famous cars in the world
In our ranking only the most famous cars of the world:
- Volkswagen Beetle
- Ferrari F40
- BMW M3
- Porsche 911
- BMW X5
- Nissan Skyline
- Ford Gran Torino
- Dodge Charger
- Ford Mustang
Many of them are still available at auctions today. For example, cars from the USA, which you can buy from the comfort of your home at the country’s online auctions.
Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen Beetle has a rich history, which began in the 30s of the last century. F. Porsche worked on a simple and reliable car, and in 1933 Hitler himself became interested in the idea of a “people’s car”, after which the project was financed by the state.
The prototype of the car called KdF-Wagen was ready in 1935, and its price at that time was not higher than that of a motorcycle. World War II made adjustments and the cars were produced in small batches, and military vehicles were created on the basis of the model.
In Germany, the car was produced until 1980, and the company decided to revive its production in the late nineties. Volkswagen New Beetle was demonstrated at the Detroit Auto Show in 1998. It was based on the all-wheel drive platform of the fourth-generation Golf, and the car itself was made in a retro style.
In 2011, a new generation of the car was presented, which was assembled on the PQ35 platform. Compared to its predecessor, the new car became 8 cm wider and 15 cm longer. The new model had a smoothed roof silhouette, so the rear passengers became more spacious. Volkswagen Beetle third-generation cars are available in three configurations – Beetle, Design and Sport, which will differ in various details, as well as a set of options. The base version has ESP and six airbags. Sales of the car started in 2012. The last batch of the model came off the assembly line in 2019 and one copy of it was sent to the museum.
Ferrari F40
Mid-engined, rear-wheel drive, two-door supercar equipped with a berlinetta-type body. Produced from 1987 to 1992. The chassis of GTO Evoluzione became the base for the car. A total of 1,315 cars were produced. Within two years from 1987, it was the world’s fastest serial supercar for public roads. It also became the most expensive for the whole time of the company’s activity. The initial price of the car was 400 thousand dollars, but later many buyers reported that they bought the car for 1 million 600 dollars.
The supercar had a mass of 1100 kg and a power of 478 hp. In tests, the car accelerated to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and to 160 km/h in 7.6 seconds. Its main competitor at the time was the Porsche 959. The F40 was the first officially produced car to hit 320 km/h.
BMW M3
The model was first introduced in 1985 as a coupe. It is one of the most successful developments of the company and unlike the production version had wider wheel arches and a large rear spoiler. The powerplant used a new 4-cylinder S14 engine, which gave the car high performance without a turbocharger. The coupe was updated three times during its existence, with all updates having a name: Evo1, Evo2, Sport Evolution.
In 1988, a rare version of this model (E30) with a convertible body, of which 786 units were produced. After the M3 won many victories on the tracks, it was decided to continue its production. The second generation of the car (E36) was produced for seven years and in the lineup there were almost all versions, except for station wagon and three-door modification. It was followed by the third and fourth generation, as well as their modifications (E46, E90, E92, E93).
In 2015, the company decided to abandon the already legendary M3 coupe and continue to produce the series in the fifth generation (F80), but in a sedan body.
Porsche 911
A sports car that was introduced in 1974 and set new standards of power and luxury. Its powertrain developed 260 hp and allowed it to accelerate to speeds of 250 km/h. This allowed it to remain the fastest road sports car for a long time.
Supercharged engines were widely used in sports car transportation, but this was the first time it was used in road cars. Increasing power through supercharging reduced engine life, and the car itself became very capricious. However, Porsche engineers managed to tame the turbocharged engine.
In the spring of 1975, the company began selling Porsche 911 Turbo, and two years later there was a modification with an engine developing 300 hp. In 1987, the Turbo lineup was supplemented with Targa and Cabriolet modifications.
But let’s turn to our time. Fifty years after the 911 model, the company introduced new top models: Turbo and Turbo S. The cars became even more dynamic due to the lightweight body, increased wheelbase, rear wheel steering system and 20-inch disks. The new generation of the Porsche 911 utilized an innovative roll suppression system, which provided even greater lateral dynamics. It was already available as standard, along with ceramic brakes. The result was not long in coming – the Turbo S set a new record for the Nürburgring North Loop, which was now completed in less than 7 minutes and 30 seconds.
BMW X5
This is the first serial crossover of the brand, which made its debut in 1999. The car was produced at the enterprises of North America and Mexico. The experience of the British company Rover played a big role in the creation of the car. The crossover had an all-wheel drive system. In base versions in-line gasoline and diesel engines were installed, and the most productive versions on gasoline engines developed 286 and 347 hp. It was equipped with automatic or manual transmissions.
After restyling in 2003, the car received a new exterior, a powerful 360 hp engine and all-wheel drive transmission xDrive. The first generation existed until 2006 and more than 600 thousand cars were produced during this period.
In the second generation, which saw the light in 2006, the developers increased the dimensions of the car, added an option in the form of a third row of seats and left the crossover without a manual transmission. The car has a lot of new electronic systems: active steering, electronically controlled shock absorbers, stabilizers with adjustment.
As for the third generation, it used only turbocharged engines, and the most powerful gasoline engine developed 450 hp. Actual for today is the fourth generation of the crossover, which has been produced since 2018.
Nissan Skyline
This model became iconic thanks to the GT-R R34 coupe. Fifty years ago, everything started with the simplest sedan, produced then by Prince Motors. The compact sedan was equipped with a 1.5-liter engine with an output of 60 hp. The first sedan under the Japanese brand was released in 1966, after Nissan absorbed Prince Motors.
The first coupe was produced three years later. The car used a six-cylinder engine with 150 hp, which allowed it to accelerate up to 200 km/h. In 1998, the last true Skyline was released. The car was equipped with a 2.6-liter turbocharged engine with 280 hp. Rear-wheel drive coupe and to this day remains a cult for fans of street racing and drift fans. It was discontinued in 2002, and the GT-R made its debut in 2007. It was only a version of the classic Skyline, so the name was not used in the title. The GT-R is considered the most affordable supercar in the world, and its top version is equipped with a 600 hp powerplant, although after tuning it can increase to 1500 hp.
Ford Gran Torino
The history of this legendary car began in the distant 1968, and the basis for it was the platform of its predecessor – Ford Fairlane. The latter was discontinued two years later. Torino became a new milestone in the history of Ford brand, and its various modifications appeared on the market until 1976.
The most popular in the U.S. were the four-seat sedan and the Hardtop version, which was equipped with a lightweight roof and had no center pillars or door frames. There were also more aggressive and powerful copies in the lineup. For example, the version of “muscle cars”, which were very much loved by Americans.
The most powerful representatives of the range were equipped with a 7-liter engine with an output of 455 hp. This modification was used in Nascar races as a training car, but on the market this car was a rarity. Mainly copies with six-cylinder engines with a volume of 3, 4.7, 4.9 and 6.4 liters were on sale.
The sporty version was equipped with body-colored mirrors, molded door panels and plastic dashboard. The last update of the car took place in 1974 – mainly changes were made to the interior and exterior. Production of the car was discontinued due to changes in production plans in 1974.
Dodge Charger
A powerful and charismatic, iconic car from the legendary company owned by the Chrysler Corporation. It is one of the first maslcars in the American automobile industry, which was first presented as a concept in 1964. The first car rolled off the assembly line in 1966.
The first generation of the car was a high-speed car with a fastback style roof and full-width taillights. Early models were based on the Coronet, but could easily be mistaken for the Dodge Challenger.
The Dodge Charger was bulky, with a length of 5 meters and 17 centimeters. It owed its unique appearance to the full-width convex grilles, hidden headlights in the front and full-width taillights in the rear. The first generation was by no means a hit, but its popularity allowed the car to survive to the second generation. It was the one that caught the attention of fans.
Ford Mustang
It’s hard to imagine a world without the iconic Ford Mustang, a car that came into being in the 1960s. An American automotive dream, the first Ford Mustang rolled off on March 9, 1964 and was the beginning of a new type of car: the Pony Club. Based on the second-generation Ford Falcon, the Mustang was more sporty.
Its cab was moved far back on the chassis, so the hood was longer and the rear end shorter than other cars in the Ford lineup. Individuality of the model was given by details: a running horse on the grille, side scallops on the sides and three-tier sections of taillights, which add to its iconic character.
A total of six generations of the car were created. The latest generation – Mustang Mach-E appeared in 2021. Recognized around the world as a coupe with powerful gasoline engines, the cars began to be equipped with electric powertrains. On a single charge, the electric car can travel 379 miles. It is very happy that the design features of the traditional Mustang have been carefully preserved in the exterior of the new generation. By the way, the top Mach-E can accelerate to 100 km/hours in only 5.1 seconds. The sound is certainly not the same, but the feeling that something incredibly powerful is under your control has been preserved to the fullest extent.
